Rubber footwear with expansion flap



Apnl 26, 1960 F. M. LE COMPTE RUBBER FOOTWEAR WITH EXPANSION FLAP Filed NOV. 30, 1956 7/////// Il/I/Il/l/I/l/l/l/ INVENTOR Fran/1; Mile-Com ze y ORNEYS lifii' FY ag -'2,933,s31 RI IBBER FOOTWEAR WITH EXPANSION FLAP Frank M. Le Compte, Watchung, N.J., assignor to Tingley Rubber Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey appi'ieandn November 30, 1956, Serial No. 625,406

.4 Claims. or. -36=-4) The present invention relates to waterproof footwear with ,upjpers for stormy weather and more particularly to rubber boots.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved boot-like footwear, which is made economically from waterproof material, which is sturdy but of light construction, which can be worn comfortably, which has an upper affording a wide and commodious opening at the top permitting the foot of the wearer to be readily inserted therein and slipped out therethrough, which has an upper designed to be folded quickly, trimly and closely about the, leg of the wearer with a minimum of bulkiness in a definite predetermined manner to excludesnowand rain, and whichhas a simple, economical, easilyfoperable; ornamental fastening device by which the upper can be retained in closed folded position about the leg. p

:The footwear of the present invention, desirably in the form of a boot, has a triangular two-ply flap, which serves as an extension of the boot to expand the top opening thereof for easy slippage of the foot therethrough. One of the side walls of the flap is integrally joined to the respective side wall of the main body of the upper at a molded preformed crease line serving as a hinge line about which the flap may be pivoted around the body of the boot to close said opening snugly and neatly about the leg of the wearer. As a feature of the present invention, the boot is made of one piece of rubber by a single molding operation and the crease line is preformed by the same molding operation by which the boo-t is made.

As another feature of the present invention, the fastening means for the flap in folded wrapped position comprises a rubber button molded on the side of the boot by the same molding operation which formed the boot and the flap-has a tab extension with an eyelet to be slipped over said button. The eyelet has. a notch on one side and the shank of the button has a lug adapted to be slipped into said notch to lock the flap against edgewise turning when fastened in wrapped position.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig, 1 is a perspective of the boot embodying the present-invention and shown in fully expanded conditionto afford ease in donning or dofling the boot;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the upper part of the boot shown in donned condition with the expansion flap folded andwrapped around the body of the boot to close the top opening of the boot; v

Fig; 3 is a section-of the upper part of the boot taken on lines '33 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is at section of the fastening means embodying the present invention taken on lines 44 of Fig. 2 but shown on a larger scale; and I Fig. 5 is a section of the fastening means taken en line -s e of Fig; 4.

Referring to the drawings, the footwear for protection against rain or snow :is shown in the form of a boot, especially useful for "children, although it also finds utility as adults footwear. This boot is made exclusively of flexible rubber in one piece by compression molding and comprises a lower foot portion 10 having a treaded outsole 11, a vamp '12 and a reinforcing foxing 13 around the edge of said 'outsole and said vamp. The boot also has an upper leg portion 14 formed with opposed side walls 15 and 16 having forward integral extensions defining side walls 17 and 18, respectively, to define a wrap-around two-ply flap 1 9 in the form of an inverted triangle bounded on its forward side by "a forwardly and upwardly sloping edge 20, where the two side walls 17 and 18 are integrally joined, and serving as an expansion piece for said upper leg portion. The upper edge of the flap '19, constituting the base of the triangle,

defines in conjunction with the upper edge of the main body of the boot a wide top opening 21 when said-flap is fully extended forwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The side wall 17 of the flap 19 is integrally joined to the outer side wall 15 of the boot-at an oblique crease line 22 extending upwardly and rearwardly and defining the rear side of the flap 19. This crease line 22 merges into the contour of the fore'part of the lower foot portion 10 with streamline continuity and is preformed in the outer side wall 15 of the boot, by the same manufacturing operation which molded the boot, to serve as a definite predetermined hinge line along which the triangular fi'ap 19 can be easily, neatly and acutely pivoted and wrapped around the main body of the boot when the boot has been donned. This crease line 22 is preformed by molding theboot so that adjoining parts of the walls 15 and 17 of the boot along opposite sides of the crease line are at an angle, preferably of about 90 to each other, in unstressed expanded condition of the empty boot, as shown in Fig. 1.

The upper edges 23 of the main body of the side walls 15 and 16 of the boot extend substantially horizontally in horizontally supported position of the boot and the upper edges 24 of the flap walls 17 and 18, when fully extended forwardly, slope upwardly and forwardly at an obtuse angle in relation to the upper edges 23 to cause said upper edges 24 to extend horizontally into registry with the upper edges 23, when the flap 19 is folded about the crease line :22 and is wrapped around the main body of the boot in fastened position, as shown in Fig. 2. Since the crease line 22 has a slight dovmward and forward curvature to conform with the general curved contour of the forepa'rt of the boot in worn position, the upper edges 24 of the flap walls 17 and 18 have slight upward and forward curvature to bring these edges 24 more assuredly into horizontal registry with the upper side edges 23 of the main body of the boot in wrapped-around position of the flap 19, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the flap 19 is fully extended fora/arm the wide.

top opening 21 is presented as shown in Fig. 1, and the flap presents a triangular pocket forming a forward extension of the hollow of the upper of the main body of the boot, permitting the foot of the wearer to he slipped easily and comfortably into the boot. When the boot has been fully slipped onto the foot, the lap the boot, and the upper forward section of the flap 1:9

zssassi 3 is provided with a tab 28 having a circular eyelet 3 forming a grommet which can be slipped over said button for fastening purposes. This tab 28 may in effect he considered to be formed by the integral bonding'together of the oppositeplies of. the flap 19 into a single ply, since the thicknessrof this tab is equal to the combined thickness of the side walls of the flap 19, and this tab terminates along a rear line 31 forming a continuation of the lower forward oblique edge 20 of the flap.

In order to permit the eyelet 30 to clasp the button 27 .with tension Without distorting the tab 28, so that the boot may be closed snugly about the leg of the wearer, the eyelet has a notch extension 32 on its inner side in communication therewith. This notch extension 32 of the eyelet 30 permits the eyelet to be more easily elongated due to tension without excessive distortion of the tab 28 or of the outer side of the boot.

To prevent the expansion flap 19 in fastened position from turning edgewise beyond registering position with the upper edges 24 of the side walls 15 and 16 of the boot, the shank of the button 27 on the front side thereof has a rubber lug 33 molded integral therewith and adapted to extend snugly into the eyelet notch 32 to lock the tab 28 against edgewise turning.

The boot has a ribbing 35 around the upper edges of the main body of the boot and the flap 19, around .the edges of the tab 28, and around the eyelet 30 and the notch 32 for reinforcement and for decoration.

The boot, made of a single piece of rubber by a single molding operation, is economical to manufacture. When the flap 19 is expanded forwardly and sideways as shown in Fig. 1, it forms an opening into which the foot can be slipped easily and comfortably without straining the boot. Although the boot is of flexible rubber, it has enough rigidity so that it will maintain its expanded upright condition while it is being donned, and is self-supporting when the flap 19 is fastened in wrapped position even without the foot of a wearer therein.

After the boot is slipped onto the foot, the flap 19 is folded along the crease line 22 to wrap said flap around the outer side wall 15 of the boot and the tab 28 is then slipped over the button 27 to fasten the flap in wrapped position. Since the crease line 22 is preformed into the side of the flap 19 by the molding operation by which the whole boot is manufactured, the folding of the flap in wrapped position will be easily accomplished and the location of the fold definitely established.

The preforming of the crease line 22 by molding has another important advantage. When the flap 19 is folded about the crease line 22, the fold along the crease line will be sharp as shown in Fig. 2, causing thereby the two side walls 17 and 18 of the flap to lie close together especially along said crease line. This reduces bulkiness inside the folded boot, especially along the region of the crease line 22 thereby making the boot comfortable to wear and avoiding the formation of protruding parts which may rub with discomfort and possible abrasive injury on the forepart of the leg of the wearer.

Although the flap panel 17 on the outer side of the expanded boot is preformed with the crease line 22, the other flap panel 18 has no crease line but folds widely without creasing to follow the comparatively wide transverse curvature of the boot, thereby conformably following generally the contour of the foot and leg of the wearer with comfort and neatness and at the same time closing the upper section of the boot snugly and neatly about the leg of the wearer to prevent ingress of moisture into the boot. The hold of the upper end of the boot about theleg of the wearer,.in conjunction with a certain amount of rigidity, not enough to make the boot uncomfortable, serves to maintain the boot in neat supported position, while yielding easilyv and comfortably to distortions engendered by walking operations.

The expansion flap 19 is not only useful when donning the boot but is also useful when dofling the boot. For

the latter purpose, the flap 19 is simply unclasped from the button 27 to form the wide opening through which the foot of the wearer can slip out easily.

The triangular flap 19, as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, could be placed at the rear of the boot instead of at the front.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited thereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A storm boot of molded rubber in a single piece and having an upper with an expansion flap in the form substantially of an inverted triangle with its base forming substantially a continuation of the top edge of the main body of the upper, said flap having opposed side walls constituting integral extensions of the side walls of the main body of the upper respectively, one of the side walls of said flap being joined to its respective side wall of the main body of the upper at a molded pre-' formed crease line defining the inner edge of said flap side wall, said flap being adapted to be expanded to afiord a wide opening at the top of the boot to facilitate slipping of the foot of the wearer into the boot and removal of the boot from the foot of the wearer, said flap being adapted to be pivoted about said crease line and folded around the main body of the upper in donned position of the boot to close the opening at the top of the boot about the leg of the wearer, a button secured to the main body of the upper, said side walls of said flap being forwardly extended beyond the flap proper to form extensions, said extensions being integrally merged to form a single ply tab extension integral with said side walls of said flap and having a thickness equal substantially to the combined thickness of said opposed side walls of the flap, said tab extension having an eye: let for fastening said tab extension to said button in folded position of said flap.

2. A storm boot of molded rubber as defined in claim 1, wherein said tab extension is formed in the upper forward corner of said flap.

3. A storm boot of molded rubber as defined in claim 1, wherein the top edge of the main body of the upper extends substantially horizontally in vertically supported position of the boot, the top edge of said flap is sub stantially a continuation of the top edge of the main body of the upper and extends in the same general direction as the top edge of the main body of the upper to cause the top edge of said flap to extend substantially into horizontal registry with the top edge of the main body of the upper when said flap is pivoted about the crease line, the button is located near the top of the main body of the upper, the tab extension has a top edge constituting substantially a continuation of the topedge of said flap and a bottom edge offset forwardly from the forward outer edge of said flap, and the height of said tab extension is substantially less than the height of said flap and is in the form of a strap. I

4. A storm boot of molded rubber in a single piece and having an upper with an expansion flap in the form substantially of an inverted triangle extending from the main body of the upper, said fiap having opposed side' walls constituting integral extensions of corresponding side walls respectively of the main body of the upper, one of the side walls of said flap being joined to its respective side wall of the main body of the upper at a.

' crease line and folded around the main body of the upper in donned position of the boot to close the opening at the top of the boot about the leg of the wearer, the top of the flap forming a continuation of the top edge of the main body of the upper and extending in the same general direction as the top edge of the main body of the upper to cause said top of the flap to extend substantially into registry with the top edge of the main body of the upper when said flap is pivoted about the crease line in folded position, a button on said respective side wall of the main body of the upper near the top of said upper integral with the main body of the upper and comprising a substantially cylindrical shank and a lug on one side of the shank, the side walls of said flap being forwardly extended near the top thereof beyond the flap proper and integrally merged to form a single ply tab extension integral with the side walls of the flap and having a thickness equal substantially to the comcombined thickness of the side walls of said flap, said tab extension having a substantially circular eyelet for fastening to said button in folded position of said flap and for receiving said shank with a snug fit, said eyelet having a notch extension on one side to permit said tab extension to be fastened on to said button easily and to receive the lug therein when said tab extension is fastened to said button to lock said tab extension positively against edgewise turning, the top edge of said flap in buttoned position of said tab extension registering substantially with the top edge of the main body of the upper and being maintained substantially in said registering position by the locking engagement of said lug in said notch.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 131,200

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